


this time around you can be anyone

by Kaesa



Series: Soft Reboot [1]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, M/M, Nonnies Made Me Do It, Very brief mentions of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 21:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20181097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaesa/pseuds/Kaesa
Summary: For the first few days, Aziraphale assumes he is dreaming. It's true he doesn't sleep as a habit, but Crowley makes it look so soothing. Maybe he's tried it, just once, and dreamed of the Garden.(Written to the prompt "the admin has reset your OTP.")





	this time around you can be anyone

For the first few days, Aziraphale assumes he is dreaming. It's true he doesn't sleep as a habit, but Crowley makes it look so soothing. Maybe he's tried it, just once, and dreamed of the Garden.

It is lush as he remembers, maybe moreso. He keeps an eye on Adam and Eve, out of a sense of duty, but since it's a dream he doesn't much worry what they get up to, which is mostly sex and eating.

(The first time around, he'd been perplexed at the point of both activities, but now he can't really fault their priorities.)

He is getting sort of peckish, though, and he wishes the Garden in this dream was a bit less realistic and had, oh, perhaps a souffle tree. But maybe, he thinks, he just hasn't looked hard enough, so he wanders into the midst of the trees to see if he can't find something appetizing.

There is a serpent here, wrapped around the branch of a cherry tree. Its tongue flicks out as it turns its head to watch Aziraphale.

"Crowley!" says Aziraphale, excitedly, and the serpent falls out of the tree.

In a moment, the serpent is Crowley, and Aziraphale is helping him to his feet. He looks just as he did in the Garden before -- well, not _just._ He's wild-eyed, staring like he can't believe Aziraphale real. "Aziraphale," he says. "You remember?"

"Of course I do, don't be silly. I'm so glad you're in this dream too, it was getting very lonely. How do we wake up?"

Crowley rubs his eyes. "Aziraphale, that's not how _anything_ works. I don't think we're dreaming."

"Don't you?" said Aziraphale. "I mean, what else could possibly have --"

He thinks of Heaven and Hell and their simple, black and white expectations of humanity.

He thinks of Adam and Eve. Their needs are all met perfectly, and they have not yet imagined wanting anything more than they have now. They're very unlikely to invent any of those things anytime soon. They might get around to working out oral sex sometime today, but then again, they might not.

He thinks of nigiri, and of books, and of Crowley's music and clever machines.

He thinks of seven and a half billion human lives full of stress and striving and beauty and terror.

"Oh. Oh dear," he says. "You think they --"

"Yup," says Crowley. "Must've found a way to turn it off and on again. Bastards," he says, with a vague look upwards. Aziraphale doesn't think that's quite fair; it's likely this was a cooperative effort. But then his eyes settle on Aziraphale again. "But you remember." He hesitates, worry in his eyes. "Do you remember... everything?"

In answer, Aziraphale steps forward and kisses him. Crowley circles his arms around Aziraphale's waist and draws him in, and when they come apart he's looking down at Aziraphale with love, and relief, and something like faith. "I could never forget you, my dear," says Aziraphale.

"Good," says Crowley, "because I --" His breath hitches. "I didn't think I could do all this again alone." He takes Aziraphale's hand, and Aziraphale squeezes it.

"Nor I," says Aziraphale. "What do you suppose we should do? Do you have any ideas?"

Crowley shrugs. "We could just do everything the same again, and hope it all goes back the way it was --"

"No, no, there are definitely some changes I'd like to make," said Aziraphale. "A lot of them, actually. In fact, there's one thing I'm __definitely__ going to do differently, if they're going to be __stupid __about this." He starts off into the Garden, tugging Crowley along with him.

"Angel, wait, where are you --"

They come to the apple tree, and Aziraphale stops. Looks at Crowley.

"You can't be serious! Aziraphale! What if you Fall?" Crowley whispers, horrified.

"Will you be there to catch me?" Aziraphale asks.

Crowley sighs. "I mean, on a _practical _level, that's not how it works --"

"Crowley," says Aziraphale, because now is not the time for a demonic meltdown.

"Yes! Yes, of course, always," Crowley says, impatiently. "But that doesn't mean you should --"

"Haven't you always been curious?" Aziraphale asks. "It would be nice, this time around, to know what we're even supposed to be doing. Don't you think?"

Crowley looks at the tree. "No, you're right. But I should go first. Be sure it's safe."

"Crowley, don't be ridiculous," says Aziraphale. "It was safe for them, last time."

"_We're not them,_" says Crowley.

"Oh, _fine,_" says Aziraphale. "If you're so worried, I'll cut it in half, and we'll each have a bite at the same time." He plucks an apple from the tree, sets it on a stone, and puts the flame of his sword out before slicing it in half. The sword is still hot, though, and the apple, now slightly cooked, smells _delicious._

He hands one half to Crowley, who takes it. Aziraphale examines the apple in his hand. He's worried, certainly, but he'll be damned if he never gets to see what all the fuss is about.

It's likely he'll be damned anyway. But he'll be in good company.

"Are you ready?" Aziraphale asks Crowley.

Crowley gives him a weak smile. "If you are, angel."

They each take a bite.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song [IO (This Time Around)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak-EhzM5oOg) by Helen Stellar. Probably 15 years ago now I downloaded an Aziraphale/Crowley fanmix with the song on it, and it's always stuck with me.
> 
> This fic was originally posted for a "100 words of..." thread on Fail_Fandomanon. Thank you, nonnies, both for inspiring it and being so kind in your feedback!


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